2. Brotherly love (Hebrews 13:1-3, 15-16)
Immorality and covetousness (Hebrews 13:4-6)
The leaders (Hebrews 13:7, 17-18)
The heresies (Hebrews 13:8-10)
The path to follow (Hebrews 13:11-14)
Paul finished his speech by giving some advice on daily Christian
life.
How should we behave every day as our eyes are fixed on
Jesus? What attitudes should we avoid, and which ones should
we learn?
Paul encouraged us to begin preparing for eternal life today,
“For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to
come.” (Hebrews 13:14)
3. How can brotherly love be put into practice?
Paul shared three practical examples:
By being hospitable (v. 2)
• This involves sharing what we have with others.
Not only with people we know, but also with strangers.
Paul reminded us that Abraham and Lot entertained
angels.
By remembering the prisoners and the mistreated (v. 3)
• Identifying ourselves with them, praying for
them, and offering physical and emotional support.
By doing good and helping one another (v. 16)
• Loving one another involves treating others the
way we want to be treated.
4. There are two serious issues that threaten
brotherly love: immorality and covetousness
[“which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5)].
Extramarital sex breaks mutual trust and
destroys family relationships. Our society may
accept relationship types that are condemned by
the Bible, but we must remember that
“fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”
(Heb. 13:4)
Covetousness also breaks mutual trust, because
misers only seek their own good and do not care
for others. They break the “golden rule”
(Matthew 7:12).
5. “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken
the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering
the outcome of their conduct.” (Hebrews 13:7)
Paul encouraged us to imitate the leaders that share the Word of God
with us. Not only to imitate them, but also to obey them (v. 17a).
They are assistant shepherds to the “great
Shepherd of the sheep” (v. 20). They care for
the wellness of each member and imitate
Jesus in everything.
Joy emanates from the care and faithfulness of
the leaders in combination with the emulation
and obedience of the congregation (v. 17b).
This joy reflects both the joy of the pastors as they’re
accepted by the congregation, and their joy of bringing
their congregation before God.
6. THE
HERESIES
“Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is
good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have
not profited those who have been occupied with them.” (Hebrews 13:9)
Establishing the heart by grace, not with foods?
How could foods be related to grace?
Paul mentioned the altar and the Tabernacle. It seems
that they still believed in salvation by those rites
(Heb. 13:10).
The only way to be saved is by God’s grace through
the sacrifice of Jesus. Anything we try to add to God’s
grace is just “foods which do not profit” and are
contrary to the Gospel.
The Hebrews tended to seek God’s kingdom
through rituals involving eating and drinking in
certain moments or in a special way (Mr. 7:3;
Rm. 14:17).
7. “Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” (Heb.13:13)
Everything filthy, immoral, or despicable had to
be thrown out of the camp. For example, the
leftovers of some sacrifices (Heb. 13:11); organic
waste (Dt. 23:13); lepers and the defiled
(Nm. 5:2-3); blasphemers (Lv. 24:14).
Being thrown out of the camp was shameful.
Jesus took that shame on Him by being crucified
outside the camp (Heb. 13:12).
Paul reminded us that the path to God is a path of
suffering and shame, as Jesus said in
Matthew 16:24. By walking this path we turn our
backs on a corrupted camp and walk towards a
“continuing city” (Heb. 13:14).
8. “The union between Christ and His people is to be
living, true, and unfailing, resembling the union
that exists between the Father and the Son. This
union is the fruit of the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit. All true children of God will reveal to the
world their union with Christ and with their
brethren. Those in whose hearts Christ abides will
bear the fruit of brotherly love. They will realize
that as members of God's family they are pledged to
cultivate, cherish, and perpetuate Christian love
and fellowship, in spirit, words, and action.”
E. G. W. (Sons and Daughters of God, October 13)
